Apparatus for cutting through the side wall of a pipe



Sept. 17, 1935. F. J. HINDERLITER 2,014,805

APPARATUS FOR vCUTTING' THROUGH THE SIDE WALL OF A PIPE Filed may 2a,193s 2 sheets-sheet 1 E j., E z E. Z, El 5.3i

'FRANK J H/NDEAM WEE.

Sept. 17, 1935. F. J'. HINDERLITER APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THROUGH THESIDE WALL OF A PIPE Filed May 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oI-Flcs APPART'US FORCUTTING THROUGH THE SIDE WALL F A PIPE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for cutting throughthe side wall of apparatus and the devising of a method, whereby anopening of sufficient size may be cut through the side wall of thecasing in a deep well, to permit the drill pipe to be extended throughthe opening and into the surrounding earth for drilling a welladjacent-the lower end of the casing which has become obstructed in sucha manner that the removal of the obstruction could not be accomplished.

A further object is the provision of such mechanism. including a millingdevice with a hollow body for the passage of iiuid therethrough and witha mill having laterally extending teeth between the ends of the device,and having rigidly associa-ted therewith pilot means depending below themill for positively forcing the device laterally along the surface of awhip stock in the casing to cause the teeth on the mill to cut their waythrough the side of the casing. I

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparentto those skilled in the art from the following detailed description withreference to the accompanying drawings.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical fragmentary section of a casing to be, cutthrough and the associated mechanism for performing the cuttingoperation.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are views similar to Figure 1 showing parts inelevation and illustrating the progressive cutting operation as carriedout by the method of this invention.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figures 1 to 4, but illustrating the useof a substitute tool as employed for the completion of the cuttingoperation.

Figure 6 illustrates on a smaller scale a casing which has been cutthrough, some of the parts being shown in section and the continuationof the drilling operation of the well being illustrated.

Figure 7 is a cross section taken on the line VII- VII of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a cross section taken on the line VIII-VIII of Figure 2.

As shown on the drawings:

In the process of drilling a deep well, it sometimes happens that a toolwill become broken off and become lodged in such a position that it is(Cl. Z-1) impossible to `:remove it. Under 4such circumstances it isimpossible to continue the drilling of the well and it has beencustomary heretofore to abandon the well. Such a procedure is extremelyexpensive because of the great cost of 5 drilling.

Heretofore it has been proposed to insert a whip stock in the well, at apoint in the well casing above the. obstruction, for the purpose ofguiding the downward movement of a milling tool l0 on the end of a drillpipe for cutting an opening through the side of the casing andcontinuing the drilling of the well adjacent the obstructed portion. Inthe past such attempts have been unsuccessful in actual practice becausethe mill- 15 ing device would cut away the Whip stock to such an extentthat it would not force the mill through the side of thecasing. Bytheuse of my present invention, this objection has been oi ercome in themanne hereinafter set forth.

The Well pipe or casing 5 is illustrated in Figure 6 as passing througha sectionof earth 6, as in the formation of a well. It being desirablebecause of an obstruction in the casing to make an opening through theside of the casing for 25 continuing the drilling of the well by the bit1 along a continuation of the hole 8 adjacent the obstructed casing,filling material such as concrete or the like illustrated at 9 is placedin the casing adjacent the obstructionV for making a 30 permanentclosure or diaphragm in the casing and for serving as an anchor for ametal wedge II known as a whip stock, the purpose of which is to deflectthe drill pipe .and the milling device thereon from the center of thecasing such that 35 it will be caused to pass through the side of thecasing. The whip stock II is preferably prolvided with a slip wedge I2having teeth I3 thereon and being disposed in a dovetailed groove in thewhipstock, as best illustrated in Figures 1 and 40 7. The teeth I3 areadapted for engagement with the inner surface of the casing and toassist the concrete footing or base 9 in preventing rotation of the whipstock during the subsequent cutting of the casing and drilling of thewell.

In Figures 1 to 4 inclusive there is illustrated a milling devicecomprising a body designated, generally by numeral IIS.v The body I5comprises an upwardly extending shank IB having threaded engagement atits upper end with the nipple I1 50 of the drill pipe I8. Adjacent theupper end of the shank I6 is formed a substantially sphericalenlargement I9 serving as a centering guide for the milling device inits vertical movement downf wardly and upwardly through the casing 5.The 50 Cil guiding portion I 9 is preferably provided with a pluralityof water grooves or passageways 2I for facilitating the passage of waterthrough the casing along the outerside of the drill pipe and millingdevice. The body I is provided with an axial bore 22 through which fluidmay be forced for assisting in cleaning out sediment from the bottom ofthe well. 'I'he lower end of the body I5 is of reduced cross sectionfasindicated at 23 and is preferably provided with a threaded exterior theentire length of the reduced portion. Upon the reduced portion 23 isdisposed a mill 26 comprising a cylindrical body having formed therein aplurality of dovetailed grooves extending longitudinally thereof asindicated at 21 in Figure 8. Within the grooves 21 are disposed aplurality of cutting teeth 28, which, at one end, extend slightly beyondthe circumference of the cylindrical body and which, at the other end,are preferably convex axially for providing enlarged cutting projections28 capable of cutting through the side of the casing as indicated inFigure 3. The mill 26 is preferably threaded on the reduced portion 23of the body to a point where the upper edge of the mill rmly engages theshoulder 32 at the lower end of the shank portion I6. From thisconstruction it will be seen that the cutting teeth 28 are readilyremovable and may be reversed in'position, or if desired the entire millmay be reversed in position to dispose the enlarged portion 2S of thecutting teeth 26 adjacent the lower end of the mill as indicated inFigure 4 instead of adjacent the upper end of the mill as indicated inFigures 1, 2 and 3.

In order to insure the positive directing of the mill toward the sidewall of the casing, as it approaches the whip stock II provision is madeby the extension of the reduced portion 23 well below the lower edge ofthe mill 26 and disposing thereon the pilot member 36 including a smoothtapered pilot head 31 disposed below the end of the body I5, and asleeve portion which extends upwardly over and has threaded engagementwith the lower portion 23 of the body, the upper end of the pilot 26being flared outwardly and serving as a lock for the mill to hold it inposition and serving to close the lower end of the grooves 21 forpreventing the accidental removal of the cutting teeth 28. The pilothead 21 is also provided with a central axial opening 39 in alignmentwith the opening 22 through the body I5.

After the concrete 9 has properly set for securing the whip stock I I inposition by the assistance of the slip wedge I2, the milling device,iudicated generally by numeral I5, is attached to the drill pipe I8 andlowered into the casing 5 to the point where the pilot head 31 engagesthe upper tapered portion of the whip stock II. By rotating the drillpipe I6 and thus the device I5, and at the same time gradually loweringthe drill pipe, the pilot head 31, sliding downwardly along the whipstock II, gradually forces the enlarged portions 29 of the cutting teeth28 of the mill into the side wall of the casing opposite to that alongwhich the tapered upwardly extending portion of the whip stock isdisposed. This is clearly illustrated in Figure 2. Although the cuttingteeth also cut away a portion of the-whip.

stock, they are positively forced to cut an opening through the sidewall of the casing, because of the fact that the pilot head 31 is smoothand depends below the mill, engaging the portion of the whip stock whichhas not been cut away.

When the mill has been lowered to the point indicated in Figure 3, thepilot head 31 becomes wedged between the whip stock II and the casing 5such that it is necessary to withdraw the drill pipe and reverse theposition of the mill or of the cutting teeth on the mill and againinsert it. With the mill in this position, the opening 5 through thecasing may be continued until the pilot head again becomes wedged asindicated in Figure 4. The opening through the casing is nowsufiiciently large to permit the use of a mill 52 which is provided withteeth on the lower surface as indicated at 53 and which are adapted tocontinue the cutting operation on the casing and the whip stock, asindicated in broken lines in,- Figure 5, thereby completing the openingthrough which the drill pipe may be subsequently extendl5 ed togetherwith the bit 1 for continuing the drilling of the well downwardlyadjacent the obstructed casing.

From the foregoing description of the mechanism for cutting through theside of a casing, and the method of performing such operation, it willbe understood that the invention is susceptible of various modificationswithout departing from the principle thereof. Accordingly, it is desiredthat the patent to be granted hereon shall not be restricted in anymanner except as necessitated by the prior art, and the scope of theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a hollow body adapted forconnection with a drill pipe, a mill secured on said body adjacent thelower end, and a toothless pilot on the lower end of said body inadvance of said mill and including a head extending beyond the end ofthe body for posi- 35 tively directing the longitudinal movement of themill, said body including adjacent its upper end a longitudinally convexcentering guide for facilitating the directing of the body in itslongitudinal movement.

2. A device for cutting through the side of a casing in a well having awhipstock disposed therein, comprising a body including means forattachment with a drill pipe, a pilot head on the lower end of said bodyhaving a smooth periphery for sliding movement over the surface of thewhipstock, and a mill on said body spaced above said pilot head andreleasably xed for rotary and longitudinal movement with said body. saidbody including adjacent its upper end a longitudinally convex centeringguide for facilitating the directing of the body in its longitudinalmovement.

3. A device for cutting through the side wall of a casing in a wellhaving a whipstock disposed therein, comprising a body of smallerdiameter than the casing, a mill removably secured on the bodyintermediate the ends and having a greater diameter than that of thebody, and means depending from the lower end of the body for posi- 00tively directing the downward movement of the mill along the whipstockand into the opposite side wall of the casing, said means comprising asmooth surface tapered pilot head secured to said body and engaging thelower end of the mill.

4. A device for cutting through the side wall of a casing in a wellhaving a whipstock disposed therein, comprising a body of smallerdiameter than the casing, a mill removably secured on the bodyintermediate the ends and having a greater diameter than that of thebody, and means depending from the lower end of the body for positivelydirecting the downward movement of the mill along the whipstock and intothe opposite side wall of the casing, said mill comprising a Cilcylindrical body having longitudinally extending dovetailed slotstherein and teeth disposed in the slots for cutting engagement with theside Wall of the casing, said means comprising a smooth surface taperedpilot head, and a vertically extending sleeve having threaded engagementwith the lower end of the body.

5. A device for cutting through the side wall of a casing in a wellhaving a whipstock disposed therein, comprising a body of smallerdiameter than the casing, a mill removably secured on the bodyintermediate the en s and having a greater diameter than that of t lebody, and smooth-surfaced means depending rom the lower end of the bodyin advance of said mill and shaped to positively direct the downwardmovement of the mill along the whipstock and into the opposite side wallof the casing, said body including adjacent 4its upper end alongitudinally convex centering guide for facilitating the directing ofthe body in its longitudinal movement.

6. A device for cutting through the side wall of a casing in a wellhaving a whipstock disposed therein, comprising a body of smallerdiameter than the casing, a mill removably secured on the bodyintermediate the ends and having a greater diameter than that of thebody, and means depending from the lower end of the body for positivelydirecting the downward movement of the mill along the whipstock and intothe opposite side wall of the casing, said means comprising a smoothsurface tapered pilot head, and a vertically extending sleeve havingthreaded engagement with the lower end of the body, said body includingadjacent its upper end a longitudinally convex centering guide forfacilitating the directing of the body in its longitudinal movement.

7. A device for cutting through the side wall of a casing in a wellhaving a whipstock disposed therein, comprising a body of smallerdiameter than the casing, a mill removably secured on the bodyintermediate the ends and having a greater diameter than that of thebody, and smooth-surfaced means depending from the lower end of the bodyin advance of said mill and shaped to positively direct the downwardmovement of the mill along the whipstock and into the opposite side wallof the casing, said mill comprising a cylindrical body havinglongitudinally extending dovetailed slots therein and teeth disposed inthe slots for cutting engagement with the side wall of the casing, saidbody including adjacent its upper end a longitudinally convex centeringguide for facilitating the directing of the body in its longitudinalmovement.

8. In a device of the class described, a hollow body including acylindrical shank threaded at the upper end for attachment to a drillpipe, a spherically shaped guiding portion adjacent the upper end of theshank, the lower end of the body being of reduced cross sectionproviding a shoulder at the lower end of the shank, a mill disposed onthe reduced portion and engaging said shoulder and a depending pilotthreaded on said reduced portion and locking said mill against saidshoulder and an enlarged tapered head on the lower end of said pilot.

9. In a device for cutting a side tracking opening in a well casing, abody for connection with drilling mechanism, a reversible mill shaped tomake a different-cut in each position carried by said body, and asmooth-surfaced guide member also carried by said body in advance ofsaid mill.

10. In a device for cutting a side track opening in a well casing, abody portion for connection with drilling mechanism, and a reversible,toothed milling cutter carried by said body portion, said milling cutterhaving tooth portions adjacent one end thereof extending outwardlybeyond the rest of the cutter, and relatively smooth-surfaced externallyarcuate members spaced above and below said milling cutter.

11. In a device for cutting a side tracking opening in a well casing, abody portion for connection with drilling mechanism, a milling cuttercarried by said body portion at an intermediate point, and guidingmembers having arcuate contact surfaces disposed on said body portionabove and below said mill.

FRANK J. HINDERLITER.

